The present invention relates generally to cooking apparatus, and more particularly provides a uniquely constructed solid fuel burning induced draft stove which creates a very uniform internal induced flow of combustion air for solid fuel being burned therein, is easy to use and clean, and provides a very even cooking temperature distribution within its interior.
In the past, a variety of cooking and grilling devices have been proposed which utilize an induced or "natural draft" flow of ambient air to provide combustion air for solid fuel (such as charcoal, wood or the like) supported therein. However, a common problem encountered in such devices is the maintenance of a uniformly distributed combustion air flow across the solid cooking fuel being burned. Because of the difficulty in maintaining the desirable uniformity in internal combustion air distribution, such conventional natural draft devices have been subject to a rather wide diversity in actual cooking temperatures along the array of solid fuel therein, thereby creating undesirable "hot" and "cold" spots along the food-supporting grate positioned above the burning fuel.
One proposed solution to this combustion air and cooking temperature distribution problem, as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,627 to Haygood, has been to utilize a fan having a variable speed motor to create a forced flow of combustion air which is directed against and then around baffle members positioned within the housing of the cooking stove below its solid fuel-supporting grate structure. While the Haygood forced draft stove to a large extent solves the combustion air and cooking temperature distribution problems inherent in conventional natural draft, solid fuel burning cooking devices, it is itself subject to several limitations and disadvantages.
For example, the use of the fan and its associated variable speed motor unavoidably adds to the cost and mechanical complexity of the cooking device. Further, the motor is periodically subjected to very high temperatures due to its proximity to the burning fuel. Accordingly, the motor is subject to rather frequent burnout and thus must be repaired or replaced with a fair degree of frequency, particularly when the stove is used in commercial cooking applications with repeated daily cooking cycles.
Additionally, the forced combustion air flow in the Haygood stove is delivered to the burning solid fuel through a spaced series of air delivery tubes which have upwardly facing forced air outlets that are positioned beneath the aforementioned air baffles. Both the air delivery tubes and their associated baffle structure are anchored to the stove housing in a manner which renders the removal, replacement and cleaning of such stove elements somewhat difficult and time-consuming, thereby further adding to the overall mechanical complexity of the stove.
Moreover, these air delivery tubes, due to their close proximity to the burning fuel above the tubes, are subject to rather rapid heat deterioration and thus must rather frequently be removed and replaced.
From the foregoing it can be readily seen that it would be desirable to provide an induced draft, solid fuel burning cooking device which provides the even combustion air and cooking temperature distribution of forced draft units, such as the Haygood stove, without the mechanical complexity, breakdown, and cleaning problems associated with such units. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such a device.